Sandstorm Vignettes
by FlickerBlade
Summary: Gerudo-centric. Series of oneshots. In a new time when Link and the Sages still have their memories, the young hero will mature into someone colder, darker...
1. Child: Meeting Again for the First Time

**I DO NOT OWN ZELDA**

**OCs ARE MINE UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE**

Welcome all to my sojourn into the world of Zelda fandom. I hope you stick with me throughout this journey. I truly hope you get as much enjoyment out of reading this as I do typing it up. Author's Notes at the end of chapter. I'd suggest you read them when you're done so you know what to expect out of this.

**Sandstorm Vignettes**

**Tale 1: Meeting Again for the First Time**

It was as hot as he remembered. As he trekked through the terrain that connected Hyrule Field to the Gerudo Valley, the boy wondered again just how he was going to gain entrance to the fortress.

"I suppose I could try showing the guards my membership," he murmured to himself, pace never breaking.

It wasn't until he saw the two guards did the anxiety begin to kick in. Not letting it reach the surface, he strolled up to the sentries and let the innocent charm of a twelve-year old take over.

"Hiya!" The boy waved in good nature and gave a mock bow that caused one of the guards to raise an eyebrow and the other to stifle a laugh. "May I be permitted to pass?"

"I don't think so, Little Hylian," one of them responded. She and her comrade were both garbed in the traditional purple of one lower-ranked in the Sisterhood, and for a moment, the boy wondered why an elite White wasn't guarding the entrance.

'It's a different world,' he mused.

Regardless, he decided to push the little boy act some more.

"Plllleeeeaaaasssseeee!"

"No," was the reply. It seemed as if they were in a bad mood already and he was grating on their nerves.

Undaunted, he began to rummage in the pouch attached to his belt until he found what he was looking for. He handed the slip of paper to the guard closest to him. "See? That proves that I can come and go as I please. So, if you'll let me through, I'll just be on my way." He looked between them, and judging by the looks that they were giving each other, he knew what was coming. 'Ah, shit.'

"I don't know where you got this," the woman said, "but it doesn't mean anything to us." With that, she let go of the slip of paper and it began it's long descent into the rapids.

"Now leave," the other said, "before you meet the same fate."

Cutting his losses, the young one retreated to wait for nightfall.

'Fine. I'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way.'

That night found the boy slinking through the shadows to the far side of the bridge. It was with some satisfaction that he noticed the same two guards that'd given him such a rough time earlier.

He grinned. Payback was a bitch.

He pulled the Hero's Bow from it's place on his back and two modified arrows. Nocking the first one, he then let it fly, striking one of the women in the forehead. By the time the other began to react, the second arrow had already caught her in the jaw. The sniper replaced his bow and made his way across the bridge and released the catch for the gate. Not sparing either guard a further glance, he continued on his way.

"Never knew what you were up against." And with a small laugh, he was gone.

* * *

Nabooru prided herself on having an efficiently run fortress. Everyone had their set jobs and everyone performed to utter perfection. Because really, that was all she expected from her sisters, and in turn, that was all they expected of her. Plus, as the leader of the Gerudo, she was their anchor; their pillar.

Since Ganondorf's 'disappearance', the Gerudo had been leaning on her. She had managed to make some small trade agreements with Hyrule Castle Town with the help of Princess Zelda, but, their main source of income still came from thieving, which tended to put them in a bit of a bad light with everyone else.

"Still, a way of life is a way of life. If they can't handle that, then screw 'em."

She moved to a small desk that held an assortment of knick-knacks: rupees, flints, various blades and other possessions. And away from it all, in it's own little corner, a bronze medallion. Inscribed with her crest. Her identity.

"We defeated one threat, but life doesn't really seem a whole lot easier."

She was about to move to look out the window when a frantic pounding came to her door.

"Sage Nabooru, are you awake?" The voice held a sense of urgency and Nabooru felt the pace of her heart quicken.

"Yes. Enter."

The red dressed woman did so and Nabooru recognized her as Zaana, one of the squad commanders. She was about as straight-laced as they came, and that was something Nabooru respected about her.

The woman stood at attention and then gave the Spirit Sage a deep bow. "Ma'am, we have reports of an intruder in the fortress. The bells are being sounded and sweeper teams have been dispatched as per standard operating procedure."

"Good," Nabooru said as she moved to the door, removing her scimitars from their stand and turning to her subordinate, a feral grin on her face.

"Let's go hunting."

* * *

One mistake. One tiny, novice mistake had cost him. For some reason he'd assumed the guard placement would be the same as before.

He assumed wrong.

He'd turned a corner without looking and ran into a sentry. Before she could draw her weapon, he'd already hurled a deku nut at the ground and was gone in a flash of light. But that didn't stop her from running for backup. Now, warning bells were going off and whole teams of Gerudo were looking for him.

He needed an exit. Crouched on top of a building he'd used the hookshot to reach, he tried to judge the distance to the gate leading to the Haunted Wasteland. "About ninety yards, give or take."

It was at times like this he wished he hadn't given the Ocarina of Time back to Zelda. He could've just warped straight out to the Spirit Temple and avoided this whole mess. But it was her family heirloom, and helpful as it was, it didn't belong to him. So he'd rough it as best he could.

With a grunt, he jumped from his perch and made a mad dash for the gate, but was forced to abandon his plan when a team of Reds came out of the building next to it. 'Dammit,' he cursed inwardly, 'they've never been this organized or quick. Things have definitely changed.'

He cut right and into the labyrinth of corridors and rooms that the Gerudo called a fortress. He was surprised that the passageways were as lightly guarded as they were, but didn't question his fortune. He came to a T intersection and was going to go left, but it was a dead-end, so he shot himself to the right. The boy continued his sprint and saw that left was his only option. He took it and immediately realized his folly: the room he was in had a cell and the only way in or out was the opening he'd just come through.

With a sigh of defeat, and hearing the sound of footfalls and muffled voices down the hall, he moved to the center of the room while drawing his sword and shield, waiting for the inevitable.

He couldn't help but feel the familiar buzz of adrenaline begin to pump through him, and he smiled at the prospect of a decent battle.

"May The Three have mercy on your souls."

At that moment, the innocent guise of the child disappeared, and a battle-hardened veteran took its place.

* * *

Nabooru walked through the throng of women to a specific building entrance, in which her second-in-command, Sherida, stood speaking with a soldier. Both women bowed as Nabooru strolled up to them.

"Exalted One," Sherida started, "this girl is a runner from Minana's group. They've cornered the intruder and Minana is about to engage."

"I understand." Nabooru was confident in Minana's abilities, as she was one the greatest warriors the Gerudo had trained, but she was hot-headed and a tad reckless. And something about the whole situation seemed odd. No intruder had ever remained at large as long as this one had.

"Did we get a description of the intruder?"

Sherida looked thoughtful. "Only that whoever it is, is short. The gate guards did say when they came to that they had an altercation with a small Hylian boy this afternoon."

"Interesting," Nabooru mused as she looked into the dark entry way, "I wonder…"

* * *

The boy didn't have long to wait before his opponent came into the room. She was wearing red, but the white trim showed that she was on the verge of promotion. She was a teenager, sixteen or seventeen by the kid's guess and was just now starting to draw her blades. Her mouth was covered by the familiar shawl, but he could tell by her eyes that she was smirking.

He was a bit disappointed. They hadn't crossed swords yet and she'd already began to underestimate him. Regardless, he kept himself at the ready even as she started to speak.

"I am Minana of the Gerudo. I'm the captain of the first squad of Devil Sands swordswomen - Hey! What the hell are you shaking your head at, you little bastard!"

Indeed, the child was shaking his head with a small smile on his face. "Look, spouting all that nonsense is fine and good if you're in a spar, but you're not. You should have been ready to fight the moment you entered the room. And another piece of advice for you: A true warrior isn't intimidated by names or titles. Let your blades do the talking for you."

He could tell she was livid by the way her shoulders were shaking, and he tensed in anticipation when he felt that aura from her; that wave of hatred; killing intent.

And sure enough, with a scream like a banshee, she charged.

The first swings were sloppy, and he merely needed to sidestep. But then she twisted and brought her right scimitar up, which was caught by the child's shield. Realizing she was open to his sword, she rolled backward and put some distance between them.

They circled each other, before the boy instigated the next dance.

He charged at her with a look of complete detachment on his face and caught her right blade on his own. She attempted to cleave him in half with her free sword but was stopped by his shield. For a moment in that struggle their eyes met: the fiery rage in hers, and the cold, unwillingness to bend or break in his.

And then time was moving again and so was their dance.

She spun to his right and, using his shield to her advantage, dropped low and slashed at his leg, catching his calf. He gritted his teeth and hopped back. The injury seemed fairly light, but the longer this continued, the more danger he was putting himself in.

As he was getting himself to bear, she rushed in once more, instigating a spin the boy had seen before. Knowing what it was, he back-flipped, and while she was disoriented, he brought his gilded sword down on her right scimitar, cutting it in half.

What he didn't expect was for her to jump backward and hurl what was left of her sword at him. He threw himself to the right, but the sting on his cheek told him he wasn't quite fast enough. Sure enough, seconds later and blood was coursing it's way down the side of his face.

On the outside, his calm demeanor was still intact, but on the inside he was beginning to get annoyed. 'This body is a hindrance. This should have been over before it started, but that's what I get for trying to do this without killing her.'

_**Then kill her, if it will get us out of this Goddess-forsaken place. Use my power and rend her asunder.**_

The voice was a very unwelcome one and the boy grumbled. 'No. I thought I told you that we don't use your powers against humans.'

_**You and your morals. If only you would -**_

'Shut up and let me concentrate. She's coming again.'

With the voice out of his head, he started to form a plan that could take her down without ending her life. But with her constantly on him, it was a bit difficult. He judged by his position in the room that the holding cell was behind him. As the pieces began clicking into place, he realized he needed to get her to back up. Summoning a bit of the innate magic in him, the boy performed a quick spin slash. What threw Minana was the ring of blue energy that was left in it's wake.

Confused and disoriented, Minana began to panic.

With a war cry she charged again, and he used her own momentum against her, dropping quickly to his back right as she impacted his shield, and used his feet to springboard her headlong into the front of the metal jail cell.

She got up slowly, and he noticed the gash on her right shoulder where she slammed into the unforgiving metal. She looked groggy, and he wanted to end this quickly so he sheathed his sword and ran at her with his shield in front of him.

She tried to defend as he came at her but she wasn't sure which of the two was the real one. At the last second, her vision refocused, and she drew up her scimitar in a last ditch effort to defend herself. But it was in vain.

When he got to her, he made sure to push her sword arm away with his shield, and jumping slightly with the forward momentum he had, drove his goron bracelet amplified left hand into her right cheek. A second later, his body crashed into hers and they both hit the holding cell with a resounding CLANG!

Slowly, the boy disentangled himself from the girl and moved to sit against the cell. Looking down at her, he slowly moved his left hand under her shawl to make sure she was still alive. Satisfied that her breathing was normal, he allowed himself a small smile.

"Good fight," he said. "By Din, that was a damn good fight." Looking at his left wrist, he gave a silent thanks to his Sworn Brother for the bracelet, before noticing a tingling in his left hand.

His triforce was reacting? To what? Zelda was in Hyrule Castle and he was SURE that Ganon was in the Sacred Realm. So what was it? He heard more soft footsteps and dragged himself to his feet, and was about to draw his gilded sword again when his answer spoke to him.

"There's no need for that, kid."

* * *

The sounds of battle had been intense enough that Nabooru could hear it outside of the compound. With curiosity nipping at her, she'd decided to go meet up with the remainder of Minana's team. Sherida implored her to take an extra squad with her as support, but Nabooru merely scoffed at the idea.

"Assuming whoever it is gets by Minana, I'll be sure to grind their ass into the sand."

Walking down the dimly lit corridors eventually led her to Minana's team, who looked understandably shaken up. No one had gone this long against her, but at her order, didn't interfere and took up perimeter positions in the narrow hall. When Nabooru had arrived, they'd all bowed and then informed her of the situation. It wasn't a moment later they heard a battle cry followed by something crashing into the holding cell.

Several seconds later there was the sound of running and an even louder impact of something on metal. What followed after was silence, and then a soft murmur that no one could make out.

What they were sure of though, was that it wasn't Minana's voice.

With a sigh, Nabooru informed the girls to hold their positions, which they reluctantly agreed to. And then she began her walk down the corridor. When she reached the last turn before the room, she drew her blades and gave a silent prayer to Din, then walked into the room, and another time.

The boy across from her had been etched into her memory, both as the child she saw now and the handsome adult he'd become. But at the moment he was going for his sword…

"There's no need for that, kid."

He stopped, and looked her over carefully before a look of realization lit his face up and he smiled. "It's good to see you again, Nabooru. You wouldn't believe the trouble your women have given me." He let go of the hilt of his sword and looked at his hand, before showing the back of it to the Geroudo leader, the triforce mark flickering like a candle.

"Should have known it was you."

Nabooru replaced her scimitars into the sheaths on her belt before strolling up to him. Something in the corner caught her eye, and she frowned.

He followed her gaze…straight to the unmoving form of Minana. Putting his hands in front of him in defense, he spluttered, "I didn't kill her, just knocked her out. You can check."

Nabooru knelt beside the girl, and put a hand to her neck. Feeling a pulse, she removed the girl's shawl, and waved a smelling salt under her nose. It was quickly effective.

The girl's eyes shot open and she moved to a sitting position, where she put a hand to her jaw and looked at her leader. "Lady Nabooru," she started, "I couldn't defeat him. Please forgive me. I'll take any punishment for this embarrassing display that you…" It was then that she noticed the other person standing there, innocent smile and all. "You little rat-bastard! I'll kill you!" She threw herself at the boy, only to be restrained by her leader.

"That's enough Minana!" With that, the girl ceased her struggling but continued to glower at the boy. "He's no intruder. In fact, he's a good friend of mine."

Minana gaped.

This boy? A friend of the Exalted Nabooru? Preposterous! But, that is what she had said. Right? Nabooru released her grip on the weary soldier and pointed at the boy.

"Minana, this is Link."

Link walked up to her and offered her a hand. "Nice to meet you, Minana. Can I help you up?"

She allowed herself to be helped to her feet and under her own power began to walk out to the hall. Link stopped her with a hand on her arm and she glared at him. He gave a nervous smile.

"Just hang on a second, okay." He began rummaging in one of his pouches and after a few seconds produced a bottle with red liquid in it. He offered it to Minana. "Ladies first, right? Just don't drink it all, please. It's all I have."

She drank half of the bitter concoction, before handing the bottle back to him. He pointed at her shoulder. "Check it out."

She did so and as expected of red potion, her wound had stopped bleeding and seemed to be scabbing up at an accelerated rate. She mumbled a thanks as the boy downed the rest of liquid and stuck out his tongue. Nabooru gave a hearty laugh at the look on his face. Within seconds the cuts on his calf and cheek were dried up and scabbed over.

Minana resumed her path into the hall. Link and Nabooru followed her out and after explanations and introductions to her team for Link, they walked out of the compound.

And into a mass of red, white, and purple. Link moved closer to Nabooru.

They were all staring at him. Some in disbelief, others in disappointment, and still more in anger. Link tapped on Nabooru's arm. "You might wanna say something," he whispered.

Nabooru gave a small chuckle and then cleared her throat. "Ladies," she started, "it seems that we've had a false alarm. Our 'intruder' turned out to be this boy," she pointed to Link, "who just so happens to be an acquaintance of mine." At that there were a few gasps and some murmurs in the crowd.

Nabooru continued, undaunted. "He will be given a full membership and be allowed to come and go as he pleases, whenever he pleases. Failure to comply with this order will result in the incurrence of my wrath." She looked over to Sherida. "Didja get all that?"

Her second was furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment. "…incurrence of my wrath." She looked up. "Yes, ma'am."

Nabooru smiled. "Excellent. Now I'm sure some of you have shifts to work, soooo," she drawled the last word out, "GET TO IT!"

And like that things were back to normal. The crowd dispersed as everyone either went to work or bed. Soon, the only ones left were Nabooru, Sherida, and Link. The boy looked up, and noticing the position of the moon, started to grumble. It didn't go unnoticed.

"What's the problem?" Nabooru asked.

With a disappointed look, he turned to her. "I was hoping to be at the Colossus by sundown. Now my whole schedule's thrown off." He looked thoughtful. "But I guess it wasn't all bad. I did get to see you again."

Nabooru pumped her fist in the air. "You're damn straight! Who knows, maybe this whole thing was fated to happen."

Link just shrugged. All he knew at the moment was that he was exhausted. "Think I could crash here tonight? I promise I'll be out of your hair by tomorrow afternoon."

Nabooru grinned at him. "Hell yeah, Link! Stick around! Besides, Sherida and I still need to write up your new membership card."

Right. The Gerudo Membership Card. His was probably in Lake Hylia by now. So he'd get that and try to get to the Spirit Temple by nightfall, tomorrow.

Nabooru then charged Sherida with showing Link to a guest room. As the two of them walked in silence, Link wondered if it was really necessary to rush off again. Only a couple of months ago, he'd saved an entire city from utter annihilation, and defeated an evil the likes of which he'd never before encountered. He deserved a break, right?

As Sherida showed him his room and left to fulfill whatever other duties she had, Link collapsed onto the soft pallet and as he drifted off, he came to a conclusion:

'Maybe, just maybe, I'll stay a while longer. After all, the world's not going anywhere, right?'

And with that, he fell asleep, intent on enjoying whatever the next day brought.

**End Chapter **

**Notes from the author:**

**1)** About Link and the ocarina. I'm of the opinion that the Fairy Ocarina, which Link uses in this story (as a child) does not have the teleportation properties of the Ocarina of Time. Therefore, I do not believe that any of the songs taught by Sheik, or the Song of Time, will work with the Fairy Ocarina. Everything else, with some exceptions (like Oath to Order), is fair game.

**2) **This story will progress kind of randomly. It is meant to be a series of one-shots forming an overall entwined story. It will be split into three parts: tales involving the child, tales involving the adult, and interludes. The tales involving the child and adult will more than likely be set somewhere in Gerudo Territory, be it the fortress, valley, Haunted Wasteland, or Desert Colossus/Spirit Temple.

The interludes however will be a different animal entirely. They will take place in the 7 years after he leaves the Gerudo Fortress as a child and returns as an adult. These will probably only mention the Gerudo and will take place in faraway lands. They will probably also contain special guest characters from other series.

**3)** Character ages. I'd just like to get this out of the way so we're all on the same page.

Link: The Child - 12; The Adult - 19; The Interludes - anywhere from 12 to 19  
Nabooru: During The Child - 19; Add seven for The Adult  
Sherida: During The Child - 25; Add seven for The Adult  
Minana: During The Child - 16; Add seven for The Adult  
Zaana: During The Child - 21; Add seven for The Adult

**4)** Don't be afraid of the O.C.s. They exist only to characterize Link. He will NOT end up in an intimate relationship with ANY of them! If I pair him up at all, and that's a big IF, it'll be with Nabooru.

**Feel free to review if you wish. No pressure.**


	2. Child: When the Time for Words Ends

**I DO NOT OWN ZELDA**

"blah" - spoken dialogue  
'blah' - thoughts  
**_blah - _**telepathic/disembodied voice

**Sandstorm Vignettes**

**Tale 2: When the Time for Words Ends**

Nabooru peered out into the Haunted Wasteland through the scope she was holding. Earlier that morning, the lookout on duty had discovered them on the edge of Gerudo Territory.

'Them' being the Sand Nomads.

They were vagabonds; cutthroats and criminals whose sole purpose in life was to survive. Even if that meant raiding the Gerudo Fortress. Nabooru knew that as soon as the sun went down, the attack would commence. All she could do was prepare for the inevitable.

Returning the scope to the lookout, she skillfully made her way down the ladder to begin preparations for a skirmish. Sherida was waiting for her on the ground.

"Shall I mobilize the women?" she inquired.

Nabooru nodded to her and both women continued into the compound, going their separate ways at an intersection; Sherida to the barracks, and Nabooru to the war room.

Blades would bleed today indeed.

* * *

Link groaned under the weight of two baskets of wet women's clothing. When Nabooru said he'd be working for his room and board, he hadn't imagined it to be this way. He'd spent the better part of the morning bent over a wash basin scrubbing training uniforms and undergarments. Maybe what the trainees said about Nabooru was true.

She was a slave driver.

He finished his walk to the barracks and had just put the baskets on a table when Zaana rushed past him. Now that he took notice, the barracks were almost empty and the entire fortress had seemed a bit on edge. He'd just chalked it up to being Nabooru's 'time of the month' or something.

Curiosity piqued, he rushed after Zaana and soon caught up to her as she made her way to the archery field.

"What's the commotion?" he asked.

Zaana looked slightly frazzled, but was professional as ever. "Sand Nomads are at the edge of the Haunted Wasteland."

Link looked confused, so she expounded. "They are a vile band of miscreants who will do anything to survive. Anything meaning assaulting caravans, mercenary work, kidnapping, murder, and apparently, they seem to have a fixation with raiding our compound."

"You mean it's not the first time?" He looked troubled.

"No," she answered, "they tend to do this once or twice every six months or so."

Link gave her a glance. "Can they even get into the fortress? Getting over the wall is no small feat, and I don't imagine you'd let any of them close enough to blow the gate."

Zaana shook her head. "Firstly, keep in mind that the Sand Nomads are a family every bit as we are." She looked to the sky. "They may not all be related, but they treat each other as such."

Link nodded in understanding. "So the 'family' teaches them what they need to know to survive." Zaana nodded. "So, how does that help them here?" he asked.

The red-clad woman frowned. "Link, do you know what a Garo is?"

At this, Link's face lost some color, and he involuntarily shuddered.

Zaana gave a grim smile. "So now you know why they're such a threat to us."

They continued in silence and moments later entered the archery field. Link watched in awe at the assembled mass of women. Women, whom he had laughed with days before, were no showing next to no emotion at all.

He stood to the side as Zaana went up to Nabooru, who was standing on a raised platform in front of the troops, and handed her a folded up scroll, before entering the throng of females.

Link watched from the side as Nabooru gave the order to form up into ranks, and the women did so in what seemed like mere seconds. Link found himself nodding in approval. The Hylian Royal Infantry had nothing on these ladies.

Standing at attention before Nabooru now were three squads of soldiers, nine to each squad, and standing three by three with their squad leaders in front. He saw both Zaana and Minana at the head of a group and realized he was in the presence of the Devil Sands swordswomen.

Nabooru took one step forward and addressed the sea of red. "Ladies, you've all been informed as to the situation. Now, you are here to defend your sisters as best you can."

She jumped to the ground and began pacing in front of her soldiers. "At sundown, those murderous heathens will once again attempt to invade our home and take what is ours. Will you let that happen?"

Link jumped as resounding "NO" echoed through the archery field.

Nabooru smiled and continued her rally. "Do we let anyone steal from us?"

Another "NO" ricocheted off of the stone walls.

"Okay!" Nabooru clapped her hands together. "Minana and the first squad, you'll be the primary assault team and first line of defense. It's up to you to thin out their numbers before they reach our walls. Is that clear?"

Minana's group gave a bow and chorused an affirmative.

Nabooru nodded and moved on. "Zaana, your second squad will be the next wave. Anyone who breaks through Minana's line gets cut down by your girls. Understood?"

As with Minana's group, Zaana's gave a bow and made clear their understanding.

Nabooru smiled and moved on to the final group, being led by the only woman there beside Nabooru and Sherida dressed in white. Her hair was cut to shoulder length and she looked like she'd seen many battles, if the scars on her arms and face were any indication. Nabooru gave her a nod and grim smile.

"Bressya, your third squad has the most important job. Anything that gets through the first two squads is your priority. Keep in mind that your backs will be against the gate, and it won't be opening. Watch for explosives, and our archers will try to support you as best they can. Do you understand your role?"

Another bow and another chant of understanding.

Nabooru turned and walked back onto the platform where she addressed them again. "In two hours you will deploy outside of the west wall. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the action will begin."

Link watched as she began unrolling the scroll Zaana had brought to her. Looking out over the squads, he saw that many had their eyes shut and heads bowed. His attention was brought back to Nabooru as she spoke again.

"Before I dismiss you," she started, and Link thought that her voice sounded slightly strained, "let us remember. Let us remember the past, and the sacrifices our sisters made to protect us from these demons."

Taking a deep breath, she began.

"Korina of the Red, Mitasa of the White, Verooja of the White, Griiya of the Purple…"

Link was in shock. The list just kept going and going. So many Gerudo had fallen in these constant battles with this outsider force. Why hadn't they gotten assistance from the King? Hell, from anybody?

_**Pride.**_

Link closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. 'What do YOU know?'

_**I know that an isolated people out in the middle of nowhere who are constantly spat on and referred to as 'thieving desert rats' wouldn't be so quick to reach out a hand for assistance. Besides, the Gerudo would die before bowing out to anyone. That's what makes them so…attractive to me.**_

But Link was no longer listening to the voice. He was listening to the names Nabooru was speaking and balling his fists so tightlythey hurt.

"Heddjya, Rossuma, Teryo, Yasshin, Eterya…"

There were no ranks. These were civilians. Non-combatants.

Children.

_**Such killing intent for one so young. What are you planning?**_

Link stood fast as Nabooru finished and dismissed her troops with a prayer to Din. He waited as she began walking in his direction. Wiping her hand across her eyes, she looked down at him and gave a small smile.

It died as soon as she saw his eyes.

She'd seen that look before. When he'd freed her from her iron prison, it was that look he'd turned on Kotake and Koume. Now it was aimed at her.

And it scared the hell out of her.

"Where do you want me?" She could almost feel the chill coming off of him.

"Link," she started, "this is a Gerudo problem and-"

He took a step closer and his eyes narrowed.

"WHERE…do you WANT me?"

Nabooru closed her eyes and took a small step back. Opening them revealed no change in the warrior before her.

With a sigh, she relented. "You want to be up front right? I'll talk to Minana."

He nodded to her and walked away. She stood there for a moment, and after cursing her weakness, went to arm herself for battle.

* * *

Sherida wasn't unused to hearing the notes from the ocarina Link played, but today, half an hour before deployment, it sounded so melancholy that she had to fight the pangs threatening to resonate in her chest. The notes floated throughout the fortress and across the wind. Strapping her scimitars to her back, the white-clad woman sought out the source of the song.

She didn't have to look far.

Standing on the lookout's tower staring out toward the Haunted Wasteland was Link. Feeling a presence at his back, he finished the song and held the instrument to his chest. They watched the sands whip at the desert before he spoke without taking his eyes off of the expanse.

"For some reason that I can't explain, it always wrenches my heart whenever I play that tune. I simply don't understand it."

Sherida looked at him. "Then why play it?" she asked.

He squinted, as if trying to see something that wasn't there. "Because maybe," He gave up on whatever he was looking for. "just maybe, the wind will carry it and then when they hear it, they'll feel as bad as I do."

Sherida couldn't argue with that logic. She'd heard it and wanted nothing more than to erase the haunting melody from her memory. She noticed then, that he was climbing back down. "What's it called?" she asked him before he was too far down.

He looked up at her.

"The Nocturne of Shadow."

* * *

Minana was vexed.

She was terribly vexed. In addition to having to try to kill or injure as many of these bastards as she could, now she had to worry about the little rat bastard himself. Said rat bastard was standing away from her squad, looking out into the Wasteland.

They had deployed only moments ago, and the time for battle was rapidly approaching. And what was she going to be doing? Babysitting, apparently.

'How dare he look like he belongs out here!' she fumed inwardly. She stalked over to him, intending to set the ground rules from the get-go.

"Hey, bastard! Let's get some things straight! I don't know how you managed to trick Lady Nabooru into letting you out here, but I sure as hell won't be looking after your ass for the entire fight!"

He glanced at her with dead eyes.

"I can pull my own weight. You should worry about yourself and your squad."

Obviously, this pissed her off that much more.

Seething, she softly bit out, "Where do you get off being so confident? What are you, like nine?"

Not raising his voice, he answered her. "Twelve. Now if you could go back to whatever it was you were doing, that'd be great."

She gaped.

Had this little monster just had the audacity to dismiss HER?

Oh, she would definitely use this rage in the battle, and if the brat had the luck to come back alive, she was gonna beat the love of Nayru right out of him.

Puffing her chest out, she glared at him. "Fine! I'd rather be over THERE anyway!"

Oh, he would rue the day. She smirked. Oh, he would.

* * *

Nabooru sighed as she watched the end of the exchange between the Hero of Time and her best soldier. Sherida gave a ghost of a smile. "Like siblings," she said.

Nabooru kept her eyes on the almost set sun. "Unfortunately not the attitude we need out here at the moment." She turned to her right hand. "Is the infantry ready? In case some make it over the wall?"

Sherida nodded. "Both the first and second divisions are prepared for the eventuality, and the archers are on the walls. The non-combatants have been moved to the underground shelter, and are properly guarded. We're as ready as we're going to get."

Nabooru let out a heavy breath. "Okay. Go form up with Zaana's group. I'm leading Minana's team in. And whatever happens," she hesitated, "don't die."

Sherida nodded and they began walking toward their respective positions.

'Stay alive,' Nabooru thought. 'All of you.'

* * *

The sun had set. The order had been given. And now Link moved with Nabooru and the first squad across the soft sand.

**_How long has it been since that blade has tasted a human's blood?_**

Link frowned slightly.

It had been something that had unnerved him, the lack of feeling from killing a human. But he'd chalked it up to desensitization from slaying hordes of monsters. Somewhere along the line, the two had blurred and simply were categorized under evil.

_**As it should be. You cannot afford hesitation in the heat of battle. Speaking of which, here comes our quarry now.**_

The voice was right. His triforce was such that it gave him a 'battle sense', so to speak. Unlike the gained knowledge or physical power that were granted by The Triforces of Wisdom or Power respectively, Link's piece gave him an advantage in the heat of combat, but only if he tapped into it.

He did.

And suddenly, in his head and through his eyes, the entire battle field was open to him.

He could see the runner, moving in the stealth-like fashion of a Garo, but not dressed like one. He carried twin daggers and was very quick, but it wouldn't be enough to save him.

By now, Nabooru had seen the opponent, but before she could give the order to attack, Link had unhooked the hookshot from his belt, released the catch, and let the spike and razor chain fly.

About 30 yards from his target, Link rotated his arm so the chain would spiral. In doing so, the chain wrapped itself around the man's neck instead of impaling him. With a ghost of a smirk, Link hit the reverse for the weapon, and with a hard tug, the razor chain chewed completely through the man's neck before making it's return to it's master.

It had been so quick that the weapon hadn't gotten bloody. Returning it to his belt, he drew his sword and continued on.

* * *

Nabooru was shocked. Not only by the fact that Link had seen the attacker before anyone else, but by the ruthlessly efficient way he'd dispatched him, and continued on as if he'd merely stepped on a bug.

She motioned to the squad and they quickly followed.

Half a minute later, they'd engaged.

Link was nowhere to be seen, and as she locked blades with an opponent garbed in a tan hood and cloak, she had to wonder if he hadn't already been cut down.

'Time to worry about that later. Right now, focus!' She brought her scimitars out of their deadlock and initiated two rapid sword thrusts that drove into her opponent's chest and abdomen.

She retreated as she heard the familiar 'hiss' and moments later, her adversary exploded.

Not wasting a second, she charged into the fray again.

* * *

Minana was in her element.

She was absolutely ecstatic when she was ankle deep in her opponents' blood. It was something of a rush; a way to work off anger.

And she needed badly to work off some anger.

After the brat had so effortlessly over-killed the first opponent they'd crossed, he'd rushed off and gone MIA. Now, in addition to the enemies that had breached their line, she was going to get chewed out for losing the rat bastard.

She put more than the needed amount of force behind her swing, and cut clean through her opponent from the left shoulder to the right hip. She had already assaulted another hapless victim before her previous one went up in smoke and body parts.

'That little punk,' she growled inwardly, hacking away at her new prey, 'will be the death of me.'

* * *

Link spared a glance at his blade as he continued his sprint across the desert floor. The blade had taken on a dark tint, almost black. If not for the inlaid gold, he'd have thought the blade was a dark purple or ebony.

_**Don't let your mind wander. I'm not going to continue to be your spotter.**_

'I knew he was there,' he replied, 'and I didn't ask you to point out my enemies for me.'

It was then that he noticed his opponent. A boy, no older than he was, with scraggly black hair and a tattered cloak, was clutching a small hand scythe with two hands.

The kid looked freaked out of his mind.

**_End it quick. _** The voice whispered soberly.

Link tried to be diplomatic.

"Throw down your weapon, and run away. If you refuse, then I can't guarantee your well-being."

The boy looked ready to haul ass out of Hyrule. But then he steeled himself, and planted his feet.

For some reason, Link found himself enraged.

"You idiot! I gave you a chance to run! Why in Din's name won't you take it? Do you want to die that badly?" He pointed the tip of his blade at the now shaking boy, his eyes glowing like blue fire in the waning light. "Then charge if you have the courage, and I'll make you a martyr! He positioned his sword behind him and shield in front of him, and narrowed his eyes in anticipation.

The challenge spurred the young nomad into action, and as he charged with a piercing battle cry, Link's blade began to glow an angry red.

And as Link spun and the energy dispersal ripped the nomad in half, the voice inside his head was, for a change, eerily silent.

* * *

Things were finally calming down, as far as Nabooru could tell. After they had cleared their area and checked for stragglers, they'd returned to the gate to find it buckled, but standing.

After attending to the wounded and saying a prayer for those who'd perished, she went over to Bressya and inquired about the boy. The squad leader had replied that she hadn't seen him at all throughout the skirmish.

So it was with a heavy heart, that she ordered her troops back into the fortress.

And after the debriefing, she returned to her quarters, and clutching a bronze medallion, prayed to The Three to see Link returned to her.

* * *

Link was in a daze.

Or maybe something else. As he looked at the body, he felt…grief?

_**You wanted this boy to get out. To be able to avoid the battles and heartache you couldn't.**_

Link nodded. "Why didn't he listen to me? Why? Make me understand." He looked away from the body and drew up his tainted blade.

"Do YOU know why?"

As if on command, a figure appeared in a flurry of sand.

"Heh, heh," she chuckled, "it seems you saw me. Pity."

Link took the woman in.

Black cloak. Hood pulled over her head. Glowing eyes. The aura of someone who has been involved countless battles.

A true Garo.

Link moved to stand across from the woman and gestured to the boy.

"So why didn't he run?"

The woman looked at the boy, and for a moment the eyes seemed to dim, before they flashed and it was business as usual. "He didn't run because I'm the incentive for our troops to fulfill their duties."

Link frowned. "You would have killed him if he ran?"

The Garo shrugged. "It's my job. I help train the ones not born into our culture. If at any time a member of the Nomads deserts, people like me are sent out to make sure they don't give up our secrets. This child was weak. But he knows how to fight like a Garo so…"

She cocked her head and seemed thoughtful. "You on the other hand, are definitely a fine specimen. I've been watching you from the start, and I must say, you got my blood pumping."

She drew her blades.

"It's been a really long time since I've had a good fight, so don't disappoint me, kid!"

She ran at him, and it was all he could do to get his shield up. It didn't seem to matter to the assassin, because in an instant, she was behind him and swiping her blades across his back.

"Tad slow there, little man," she cooed as she danced around him, "you're gonna have to crank it up notch if you wanna stand toe-to-toe with me."

She rushed in again, and again, Link put up his shield. He wasn't expecting the Garo to dive feet first into his shield. The boy was sent sprawling as the woman righted herself and pounced on his now prone form.

Link immediately rolled right and the deku nut left in his wake flashed with ferocious intensity.

The assassin was momentarily blinded, but that was all the time Link needed.

Grabbing his battle-worn boomerang, he immediately threw it at her, intentionally missing wide left. As the woman turned to face him, the projectile made it's return and crashed into her back, winding her.

Link rushed in and took a swipe at her, which she only barely dodged, before back-flipping out of his reach and landing in a ready position.

She wiggled her finger at him. "You're crafty! We could use sneaky people like you. It's too bad you're shacking up with those desert whores. Truly a shame."

Link gritted his teeth. "Don't speak ill of people you've never even met."

His adversary laughed. "Oh-hoh, a gentleman, and a cold-hearted murderer all rolled up into one. How exhilarating! Your head will make a fine addition to my trophy case!"

With that, she whipped one of her blades at him, which he pushed aside. Realizing his mistake, he tried to bring his shield back in front of him, but the pain in his left arm told him he was too late.

A quartet of metal needles were protruding from his left forearm and bicep and he realized he'd dropped his sword. His arm was unresponsive.

"Sucks for you, I guess." The woman raised the dagger in her right hand. "I suppose I'll see you in hell." She sprinted toward him, knife ready to take his head.

Link raised his head, and the Garo was shocked at the ferocity his eyes showed but couldn't stop her dash.

He smirked. "Not if you're there first." Using his body to throw his left arm out in front of him, he released a primal scream, and grinned as his would-be killer impacted a wall of fire. The spell continued moving out over the sand until the flames extinguished themselves.

The Garo wasn't so lucky. With a shriek, she ripped off the burning cloak and hood and tossed them to the ground, where the flames consumed them. Her hands were burnt, and her loose black pants and shirt were singed, along with her shoulder length black hair.

And as Link looked at her, she seemed spooked.

"I knew you were something else, but damn, I think I may have gotten in over my head."

She looked from her cloak to him. "I think I'll fall back for now. I've had my fun." She began walking further into the Wasteland, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, by the way, the name's Michiko. Remember it. It'll be the last thing you hear before I kill you. Ta Ta!"

With that, she vanished into a storm of sand and Link was left to grab his gear and drag himself back to the Fortress.

* * *

Nabooru was awakened an hour and a half after succumbing to a restless sleep by the sound of knocking on her door. Upon opening it she was greeted by Sherida.

"The boy has returned," she started, "he's being treated for his wounds now, so…"

Nodding, Nabooru rushed to the medical wing where the medics were indeed wrapping the boy's torso and left arm in bandages.

Seeing the sage, he gave her a tired smile. "I look like a Gibdo, huh?"

She laughed and ruffled his hair. "We were worried about you. Minana waited by the gate for forty-five minutes to chew you out."

He looked down. "I just got held up. No big deal."

She frowned. "It IS a big deal. No one may tell you outright, but you've grown on a lot of people. They wouldn't want to lose you."

He looked her in the eyes. They glimmered. He knew that emotion. That absolutely weak emotion. He had to look away. "Nabooru, I'm a little tired, so I'd like to get some rest, if that's alright."

She looked confused by his actions, but then realized that he'd be exhausted from blood loss and the cold of the desert night. With a murmur of "goodnight", she left the room, trailed by the medics, and the boy was left in the candlelit med-ward.

_**Do you hate her?**_

'No, but I'm tired of being looked at like that. It always leads to something bad. With Saria, I had to leave the forest. And with Zelda,' he closed his eyes, 'she flung me back into a past that I had no desire to relive.'

_**So you fear that look she gave you is the prelude to the end of your friendship?**_

'I don't know. I pray to Farore that it isn't the case.'

With the conversation concluded, the boy let sleep claim him, silently praying that tomorrow would bring better things.

**End Chapter**

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Time is a precious commodity to us all, and I'm honored that you wasted some of yours' on me.**


	3. Adult: From Whence He Came

**I DO NOT OWN ZELDA**

"blah" - spoken dialogue  
'blah' - thoughts  
_**blah**_ - telepathic/disembodied voice

****

Sandstorm Vignettes

**Tale 3: From Whence He Came**

He honestly couldn't remember how long he'd been standing there, drinking in the visage of the stone goddess before him. The wind whipped his cloak around him, but he didn't seem to notice.

Instead, his attention was focused solely on the Goddess in the Sand.

_**She's magnificent, isn't she? She wasn't really a goddess, but a very capable leader of the Gerudo some seven hundred years ago. She was a force to be reckoned with.**_

'You knew her?' he inquired.

_**Not personally. But stories of her conquests were plentiful, if a bit, over-the-top. **_

'Hn,' was the reply. 'Regardless, I have what I came for, so let's continue on.'

Hefting the red and silver crescent moon shield onto his back, he continued east to his destination.

* * *

The guard at the west gate stretched and stifled a yawn.

She had an important job, true enough, but it was just so damn boring that it wasn't even funny. So when the lookout above shouted that she saw someone in the distance, she was understandably nervous.

After all, the only things that came from this side of the desert with any frequency were Sand Nomads and Stalfos.

Forty five minutes later, she steeled herself as the stranger walked up and stopped five feet in front of her.

He was intimidating, she noticed. The black cloak with red clouds had a high collar that covered the bottom half of his face. But she could see his eyes.

They were dull, kind of a flat blue, accentuated by his blonde hair, and didn't seem to reflect anything, though they stared through her as though she were just another grain of sand in the desert.

She then noticed the sword strapped to his back. The VERY BIG sword strapped to his back.

It looked like it might have been of Goron make, but she couldn't be sure as all she could see was the hilt and the tip of the blade near his ankles; everything else had been wrapped in a white cloth.

Focusing on the task at hand, she asked, "Can I help you?"

In reply, he brought his right hand out of a fold in his cloak and handed her a piece of parchment.

'A membership,' she realized. And it had been signed by Lady Nabooru herself!

Yelling to the woman on the other side of the wall to open the gate, she handed the document back to the traveler.

He walked through the opening without so much as a "thanks".

Grumbling, the guard turned back to the open desert, and started her uneventful vigil once more.

* * *

The fortress was as he remembered it. The sentries made their rounds as they always had. Children ran wildly, playing in the sand or pretending to be Gerudo warriors.

All in all, it was dull.

_**A welcome change for us, I do believe.**_

The stranger nodded in agreement. Now, on to the next order of business.

Finding an inn would be a priority, and he had more than enough money to stay for as long as he liked. Moving to where he knew the Sirocco Inn was, he opened the door and was going to move to the counter when something collided heavily into his back.

Looking behind him, he saw a woman clad in white in the process of picking herself up off of the ground. Dismissing it, he made to move to the counter, when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey moron," the voice growled, "why don't you quit blocking the friggin' entrance and-"

A moment later, she found herself face-down on the floor; her arm wrenched behind her back, and a blade at her throat.

The stranger took a deep breath, then released it slowly and evenly. "If you EVER," he whispered, "disrespect me again, I'll rip your arms off and beat you to death with them." Another deep breath. "Do you understand?"

The response. "Screw you."

He wrenched her arm tighter, to the point where it felt like her shoulder would separate. "Do. You. Understand?"

"Yeeesss," she hissed.

The pressure on her arm was gone, and so was the blade at her throat. She moved to a kneeling position and looked behind her, seeing the outsider handing one red and one purple rupee to the white-as-a-sheet innkeeper, who in turn gave him a key and motioned to the stairs.

He nodded, and moved to the steps, short sword still in hand. When he got to the bottom step, he stopped.

"You know," he said, without turning around, "I think Nabooru made a grave mistake promoting you. You still have a volatile temper and you pick fights for the most juvenile of reasons. You really should re-evaluate the way you live your life."

He began walking up the stairs.

She glared at him, too pissed to hear what he'd said. She burned him into her memory. The cloak. The blonde hair. The over-sized sword. The small one with the blue-silver blade, inlaid with gold.

Wait? Blue-silver blade, inlaid with gold? And blonde hair?

Her eyes widened.

Screams of "rat bastard" echoed throughout the fortress.

* * *

An hour following Minana's 'outburst', the fortress had become aware of the return of Link. And it was the speed of this gossip that found Link in Nabooru's office.

"So," the sage started, "when were you going to let us know you were back?"

He stared at her, mouth still hidden by the collar of his cloak.

"I wasn't."

She raised an eyebrow, and looked at Sherida, who looked at her from the documents she'd been signing. Turning back to Link, she frowned. "Why? You're family here. There's no need for anonymity among friends."

Link looked to the side, as if searching for an answer, then turned back to her, brows furrowed. "I wasn't planning on being here long." He closed his eyes. "I've got some business in the east, and was only planning on staying long enough to get my bearings."

Nabooru looked thoughtful. "Far be it from me to keep you from your work, but maybe you could put it off for a week or two. After all, the Sand Goddess Festival is coming up."

Sherida chimed in. "Right! It's only a once a year thing, and you didn't stay long enough last time to see it."

Link looked doubtful. Why were they trying to keep him from leaving? They didn't plan to turn him in for his bounty, did they?

_**Don't be stupid. There isn't a bounty out for you in this country. Your paranoia astounds even me.**_

'Shut up,' he growled inwardly. 'What possible reason could they have for tying me down for so long?'

_**Not everyone who asks you to do something has an ulterior motive.**_

'Right, not everyone. Just everyone else.'

He looked to Nabooru. "Okay," he said, "but after the festival, I'm departing. We clear?"

She smiled. "Alright. That's all we could hope for."

With that, the young man turned for the door when a voice stopped him.

"Hey Link," Nabooru asked with a playful smirk, "how 'bout you let us see your face?"

Link didn't turn around.

"Maybe later."

And then he left the room.

* * *

The wind played with Link's hair as he made his way to the archery field. The sky was a pastel of reds, pinks, purples and oranges. Link had decided to travel without the cloak and so he moved to the field in a Goron tunic and black leggings. He'd pilfered the Silver Gauntlets from the Spirit Temple when he'd left on his journey as a child and was wearing those now. Other than that, he carried only his money pouch, the Fairy Bow, and his Gilded Sword at his left hip.

Arriving at the area, he moved to the girl and paid her for a round of horse-back archery.

Turning to one of the standard Gerudo-bred stallions, he walked up to it and whispered in it's ear, before mounting and setting off.

As the steed reached it's galloping speed, Link allowed himself a smile for the first time in days. This is where he felt the most at home. It wasn't battle, but it was the same sense of exhilaration. Removing the bow from his back and nocking an arrow, he focused on the jars to his right.

Seven shots and seven shatters later, he was bearing down on the target at the west end of the field. He fired with a speed that seemed unnatural, but managed three bulls-eyes and one slightly to the left of the mark.

As his mount turned the post, Link dug his heels in and spurred his ride on.

Link turned to face the targets on his left and let some of his triforce power leak into him. With a clarity that enveloped his very being, he struck dead center on each of the targets before unloading the rest of his stock into the center ring of the eastern target.

Link dismounted the horse, and after giving the reins to the still speechless girl, made his way back to his room.

He supposed nineteen out of twenty was acceptable.

* * *

"Invasion of privacy now, is it?"

Link closed the door and turned into his room. At the foot of his bed sat Nabooru, leaning back on her arms. She gave him a once-over.

"You look different in red," she concluded.

"It keeps the heat out," he returned, moving through the room while removing the gear and clothing on his upper body. "Get out, please. I need to wash up."

She noticed the multitude of small scars on his body, but none stood out as much as the one on his face that ran from the middle of his chin to the base of his left ear.

"Stupid Garo tried to cut my throat," he answered, quelling her unspoken question, "but I managed to turn my head out of the way in time."

She stood slowly and crossed the room to him. When she reached for his cheek an iron grip stilled her hand. "I have this thing about people invading my personal space," he said, "you'd do well to remember that."

He let her go and she sauntered to the door.

"Do you want me to have someone send dinner up to you?" She stood with a hand on the doorknob and another on her hip.

He looked thoughtful. "If it's convenient for you."

She nodded and made her way out the door, stopping just before it shut. "Hey kid," she said from her side, "you really need to lighten up. It's not healthy for you to be so suspicious of everything. Anyway, goodnight, and I'll have something sent up."

With that, the door was shut and Link was left to himself.

"Easy for you to say," he muttered, "you haven't had people hunting you for the past five years."

* * *

An hour later, after he'd cleaned up and finished his meal, he relaxed onto the bed, everything and nothing running errant in his mind.

_**How so soon will we begin the operation?**_

Link sighed.

'It depends on unknown variables. The soonest we could move is in a month, barring any unwanted interference.' He smirked. 'That old codger's gotten so complacent in recent years that it disgusts me.'

_**If Nabooru finds out about this, she'll likely kill you.**_

'My lips are sealed,' the man replied. 'You plan on running your mouth?'

_**Do not insult my loyalty, brat. Besides, with which lips would I gossip? You've not given me a physical presence in some time.**_

'Soon enough. I can guarantee that your power will spear-head this next conflict.'

_**I look forward to it.**_

Link moved to sit on the side of the bed and looked out the window at the many stars hanging in the night sky.

His thoughts strayed to the woman whom his younger self considered a friend, yet now, he could only see as a potential obstacle.

Lowering his head, he let out a shuddering breath.

'Farore, please don't give me a reason to kill her.'

He would continue to sit through the night until the first rays of sun peeked over the horizon, before catching a half-hour nap and then rousing himself to begin the day.

Business as usual.

**End Chapter**

**Thanks all for the reviews. I'm glad I could give something enjoyable to the community. **


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